Presidency Under Attack For Justifying Hike In Petrol, Electricity Tariffs |The Source

By Akinwale Kasali

The Federal Government has come under severe attack for justifying the recent hike in the prices of Petrol and Electricity Tariff.

Garba Shehu, spokesman of President Muhammadu Buhari, had reacted to the increase in petrol price, saying the product sold at a higher rate when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power.

Writing via his Twitter handle on Tuesday, the presidential spokesman said petrol sold for as much as N600 per litre under PDP.

The Federal Government, through the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), recently increased the ex-depot price of petrol from N138.62 to N151.56 per litre.

Following the increment, petrol marketers raised the price of the product from N148 to between N158 and N162 per litre.

This happened days after electricity distribution companies (DisCos) in the country began the implementation of the new cost-reflective electricity tariff.

The hike has been condemned by many Nigerians, Labour Groups, Human Rights Groups, Civil Society Organizations, among other groups.

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) had said the government did nothing to help citizens cope with the devastating economic impact of the pandemic.

The PDP, on its part, described the increment as “callous, cruel and punishing“, and demanded that it should be reversed to avert “a national crisis.”

But Shehu accused the main opposition party of deceit.

“Don’t allow the PDP to deceive you. Amidst acute shortages, they sold petrol at N600 per litre on Easter Sunday in 2013 (See Punch published on that day),” he tweeted alongside a newspaper publication.

The presidential aide, however, came under attack over the comment, with many accusing him of unjustly justifying the petrol price hike.

One user by the name Benson asked him to cover his head “in shame” for making such remarks.

“@GarShehu is this a way of justifying the increase in fuel pump price? Was the N600 official price?” he asked.

“You should cover your face in shame. Apc was voted for all its promises, and here we are today.”

Ada King, another user, asked: “So what is your point exactly? This is why Nigeria can never ever get better because these so-called leaders would rather dwell in the past and continue to do nothing than make any positive difference.

“Since 2015 all you do is blame, blame & blame. Is that why you’re in Govt?”

Another user accused him of making such remarks because he gets such services as the supply of petrol for free.

“You all get all these on a platter and if you manage to buy some, it is still the nation’s money. You will surely not remain in power.

“This APC government is shameless and Lacks decency, what a callous and insensitive Government we have here”.

In a couple of States, students, and a number of groups, in their hundreds, have taken to the streets to protest the hike in tariffs. Labour Unions, including the NLC and the TUC, are mobilising for a Nationwide strike.

But the FG, said there will be no reversal to the former tariff.

On Tuesday, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, went full blast, saying it would no longer be involved in fixing, monthly, the price od fuel. It has left it to market forces. Meaning that Fuel Marketers would henceforth fix the pump price of their products.

The Organised Private Sector has also backed the full removal of subsidy on electricity.